06 October 2020

The delivery of wound care in the current climate is challenging so effective solutions are more important than ever. It is vital that you are aware of the latest products and innovations that have the potential to improve outcomes.

04 December 2025

If detected early, cervical cancer is one of the most effectively treated cancers. Therefore, attendance at cervical screening appointments, where the health of the cervix can be checked, is vitally important. However, there is a known health inequality in relation to the LGBTQIA+ population and attendance at cervical screening appointments. Some barriers to attendance include administrative processes, previous negative experiences with healthcare professionals, discrimination and embarrassment. This literature review was undertaken to explore the experience of LGBTQIA+ people and cervical screening from a global perspective. A total of nine papers were included and thematically analysed. The fours themes identified were discrimination, gender dysphoria, interpersonal and emotional experiences and relationships with healthcare providers. Healthcare professionals, such as general practice nurses (GPNs), should be aware of potential factors which may prohibit attendance from this population and encourage and increase engagement with the cervical screening programme. It is imperative that care provided should be person-centred, compassionate and informed to support reattendance and, importantly, engagement with the healthcare system as a whole.

07 June 2022

Hayley Plimmer lost her 64-year old mother Catherine ‘aka Kay’ Christopher to liver cancer in 2017 following a late diagnosis. Hayley said:
My mother died of liver cancer five days after receiving her diagnosis and being told by
her consultant that there was nothing that could be done. It was a horribly shocking and traumatic experience for the whole family and we’re still reeling four years later. Looking back, there were some signs which we now know to have been symptoms of cancer but we had no idea at the time.

01 February 2016

For researchers and policy-makers, nurses working in primary care are notoriously hard to reach; they are without a management structure with a chief nurse or director of nursing at the top of the organisation, as is the case for their
colleagues working in a community or hospital-based provider.

So, when more than 3,400 general practice nurses  (GPNs) recently completed a major Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) survey, it sent a clear message that the nurses had a story to tell. 

01 October 2019

In July, the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) announced an exciting new leadership programme for clinicians in England.

19 June 2020

In this first of a two-part series exploring leadership in general practice, Jaqui Walker, general practice nurse/advanced nurse practitioner, Falkirk, Scotland, looks at the context for leadership in general practice nursing, our role as leaders, and perceived barriers to nurses fully utilising their leadership potential in the general practice setting. Part two will explore why we should lead, who can lead, leadership styles and behaviours for ANP/GPNs and how to develop leaders.

06 July 2016

Anne Moger gives her views on the new national framework.

Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England, officially launched Leading Change, Adding Value: a framework for nursing, midwifery and care staff on 18 May 2016. The event was held in London and live streamed, and with 1,200 devices linked in and connections through Twitter using the hashtag #Lead2Add the estimated reach to people participating globally was over 3.5million.

The framework follows the success of Compassion in Practice (NHS England, 2012) and positions all nursing, midwifery and care staff as leaders who will shape the actions needed to meet the challenges of today and the changing health and care landscape of the future. One of the great legacies created through Compassion in Practice is the 6Cs, and these will remain the foundation of our value base and central to reducing unwarranted variation.

17 November 2015

Welcome to GPN’s learning zone. By reading the article in each issue, you can learn all about the key principles of subjects that are vital to your role as a general practice nurse. Once you have read the article, visit the Learning Zone to evaluate your knowledge on this topic by answering the 10 questions in the e-learning unit; all answers can be found in the article. If you answer the questions correctly, you can download your certificate which can be used in your continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio as evidence of your continued learning and contribute to your revalidation portfolio.

Interstitial lung disease is the collective name given to over 200 different types of parenchymal lung disorders (Demedts et al, 2001). They are different from the more common respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma in that they affect the alveoli, small airways, interstitium and surrounding capillary circulation. Interstitial lung disease causes scarring, which makes it difficult for oxygen to diffuse into the circulating blood, resulting in breathlessness.

03 February 2016

Welcome to GPN’s learning zone. By reading the article in each issue, you can learn all about the key principles of subjects that are vital to your role as a general practice nurse. Once you have read the article, visit the learning-zone to evaluate your knowledge on this topic by answering the questions in the e-learning unit; all answers can be found in the article. If you answer the questions correctly, you can download your certificate which can be used in your continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio as evidence of your continued learning and contribute to your revalidation portfolio.

This feature focuses on the  quality of record keeping; why it is important, the standards required, the potential consequences if standards are not met and how  this can be avoided by healthcare professionals and their employer.

29 November 2024

Asthma is the most common longterm condition in children and young people (CYP),  affecting one in 11 five to 18 year olds (Asthma + Lung UK, 2024a). That is around three in every classroom. Most cases are mild to moderate and, in most children, a few  simple interventions can vastly reduce asthma symptoms and risk of attack (Bush and  Fleming, 2015; British Thoracic Society/Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines network  [BTS/SIGN], 2019; Levy, 2020; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence  NICE], 2021). The awareness campaign, #AskAboutAsthma, was established to encourage  everyone seeing CYP with asthma to have these interventions front and centre of their minds.